Page 36 of Fated By Fire
“What do you know about power?” Steel spits. “I saw half a dozen kings come and go before you were even born. Centuries of guiding the rulers of this clan. And you… You think you’re different. Better.”
Half a dozen kings? Rulers of this clan?
I blink in confusion, my face still throbbing.
What the hell is he talking about?
“This has nothing to do with clan politics, Malakai,” Caleb says. “The woman made a mistake. I will deal with it.” He shoves around the big guy and strides toward me, his eyes flicking to mine briefly before he begins to work on my bonds. In seconds, my wrists are free, and I rub them to get the blood flowing.
Oh, thank God. I might make it out of here.
“You dare defy me, boy?” Malakai Steele yells from across the room. “Get away from her!”
Or maybe not…
Caleb steps in front of me, shielding me from the other man. His body is tense, his muscles coiled. “Don’t fight me on this,” he warns Malakai.
Malakai ignores him, charging across the room with surprising speed, despite his ungainly gait. He crashes intoCaleb’s chest with such force that he almost stumbles backward onto me. Before he loses his footing, though, he’s shoved the guy back.
“Enough!” he barks. “We will deal with this later.”
“Deal with this?” Malakai’s voice has grown lower, deeper. Almost a growl now. It makes me shudder.
“Free yourself,” Caleb murmurs. It’s an instruction I don’t need; I’m already working on the ropes around my ankles. “Stay behind me,” he adds. That’s an order I find harder to obey because I’m hearing something that I can’t ignore.
I hear growls, animalistic ones, and then there’s a sound—a wet, tearing noise that makes my stomach churn. Staggering to my feet, I peer around Caleb’s shoulder… and stop breathing.
The other man’s body is contorting, his limbs elongating unnaturally, his skin rippling with scales. His clothes tear as his body expands, his human features distorting into something monstrous. His eyes glow with an otherworldly light, and his mouth stretches into a snarl filled with sharp, glistening teeth.
“What—?” My voice is choked by the terror clawing at my chest.
Caleb pushes me behind him. “Don’t look.”
But I can’t look away. The transformation is impossible, horrifying—and yet, I can’t tear my eyes from it. The man—no, the thing—before us is barely human. His body has torn through the fabric of his clothes, and his eyes gleam snakelike from a face that’s covered in… scales.
This is impossible!
The creature lets out a slavering snarl, the sound vibrating through my bones. It lunges forward, its claws scraping against the concrete floor as it charges toward us like a bull.
“What the fuck!” I gasp, backpedaling as fast as my legs will carry me. But Caleb doesn’t back away. Instead, I look on in horror as he lunges toward the monster.
My back hits the wall as I watch Caleb meet the creature head-on. Their bodies collide with a sound like bones cracking, and I cover my ears against the deafening roar that fills the room. The beast—Malakai—swipes at Caleb with claws that glint like blades in the dim light.
But Caleb moves with impossible speed. He ducks under those lethal claws, driving his fist into the creature’s scaled belly. The impact sends shockwaves through the air—I feel them ripple across my skin.
The monster staggers back, hitting the far wall with enough force to crack it. It’s only then that I notice that the beast’s lumbering gait is caused by a leg that’s missing the lower half. Still, he’s regained his balance with terrifying speed.
I scream out a warning but Caleb is already pressing his advantage. He grabs Malakai’s arm, twisting it with brutal efficiency. The sickening snap of bone echoes through the room, followed by an earth-shaking howl of pain.
“Stay down,” Caleb commands, his voice deeper than I’ve ever heard it.
The creature answers with another roar, lunging forward with its good arm. But Caleb is ready. He steps inside the beast’s reach and drives his knee up into its jaw. The crack of impact makes me flinch.
Blood sprays across the floor—dark and viscous. The monster stumbles, its movements becoming sluggish. Caleb doesn’t hesitate. He grabs the creature by its throat and slams it into the ground. The concrete splinters beneath the impact.
The beast’s eyes roll back, its massive form going limp. As I watch, trembling, the scales begin to recede. Within moments, Malakai lies unconscious on the floor, human once more.
My God. Oh, my fucking God!
